Proverbs 10

The godly vs. the godless (10:11–12, 18, 24–25, 27–32): The words of the godly lead to life; evil people hide their intentions and cut their lives short.
¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
⁸ The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.
³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
³² The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse
These proverbs all deal with the power of our words. We can encourage or we can kill.  We can slander or we can uplift.  We can be an affront to those within ear shot- or we can sing His praises. The tongue is the most powerful muscle in our body with its dual potential.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers all offenses.
Can I get an “Amen”? Hatred stirs up strife, whether concealed or open, through lying lips or exposed publicly…hatred demolishes hearts. Love- to love through all offenses is a beautiful thing. We are not called to point fingers and stake ourselves, as Christians, against others. We are called to love. In Charlotte NC we are dealing with a bathroom ordinance that has exposed the hearts of Christians in an ugly way. Ridicule and judgement are coming off of the hearts and tongues of my brothers and sisters in Christ and I am hurt and saddened by the show that the Church is giving to an entire population.  LOVE> if we are the only Jesus that someone sees- are we portraying His heart well?

²⁴ What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
    but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵ When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
    but the righteous is established forever.
When the storm passes by, the wicked are no more – but the righteous stand firm forever.  I thank God for my faith and for His love that sings over me.  I don’t know how you get through the hardships of this life without this faith. I think storms do take out the non-believer in ways that we can’t imagine.  Imagine no hope in tomorrow and despair in today – because there is no Joy. 

²⁷ The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
    but the years of the wicked will be short.
²⁸ The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless,
    but destruction to evildoers.
³⁰ The righteous will never be removed,
    but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
Wisdom promises prolonged life, joy and we are promised that we will never be removed as we chase Wisdom and search for the ways to walk out this holy odenience to the ordinary.